Everything may be cooler in Pooler, but most West Chatham residents still venture into Savannah to shop for clothing and other specialty goods.

A new retail complex could soon alter that pattern.

A developer will break ground on a 100,000-plus-square-foot shopping center anchored by T.J. Maxx and Ross Dress for Less later this spring. The center, to be known as The Village on Pooler Parkway, will be located on the northwest corner of the Pooler Parkway-Benton Boulevard intersection behind the existing Logan’s Roadhouse.

The developer, Nashville-based GBT Realty, is still finalizing the plans and anchor leases for the project, according to a representative of GBT’s public relations firm, Gray Public Relations. More details, including a projected opening date, will be announced later this month, the spokeswoman wrote in an email.

GBT Realty is one of the largest retail center developers in the Southeast.

The Village on Pooler will bring variety to a corridor dominated by Walmart and home improvement warehouses. Other major tenants listed on the documents submitted for planning review include Michaels craft store, PetSmart and Pier 1 Imports. The center will include several small retail spaces as well and will feature outparcels for restaurants or additional phases.

“We know at some point, we will become the shopping area on the westside,” Pooler Mayor Mike Lamb said. “We are already the restaurant area and the entertainment area and increasingly the medical area. But there is tremendous potential for shopping that would benefit not only our citizens but residents in surrounding counties.”

The Village on Pooler will be the latest retail development for the corridor, which abuts the Godley Station residential subdivisions. The Pooler Marketplace, anchored by a Publix supermarket, opened in 2010. An entertainment complex, which includes a multi-screen cinema, bowling alley and roller rink, sits just north of The Village on Pooler site, as does a small retail center currently under construction.

An upscale outlet mall measuring more than a half-million square feet is planned along Benton Boulevard south of the intersection with Pooler Parkway. It is scheduled to open in summer 2014.

Demographics and traffic count have made the corridor popular with retailers. Nearly 28,000 people live within five miles and more than 70,000 cars pass daily along Interstate 95. The Village of Pooler could be one of the last major retail developments in the Godley Station corridor.

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No, I don't want to drive to Hilton Head for upscale shopping, and No, I get tired of shopping on-line for upscale stuff. I want an upscale shopping center in Savannah. Yes, you heard me, I want a Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus, or Saks. I'm tired of looking at tired same ole same ole clothing at Belks, Macy's or God Awful Dilliards. Give me a store where someone is playing the piano while I look for shoes. Nordstroms is the best department store, hands down. Their philosophy is - "Customers comes First" and many college professors use their management style as a prime example in Operations Management. Savannah, you deserve better than what you got!

You must believe there is a market for the products you are looking for. Come up with a business plan, seek investors, then build your vision. That is how it is done. Take it a step further, you seem to have an idea of the exact product(s) you are looking for. Instead of building a place for these others to come in. Start your own up scale department store. When the big department stores were bought out and merged in the 80's and 90's it was not a good time for the consumer. To me personally Rich's was one of the best organizations there was until it became part of Federated and eventually disappeared. There was a time service was first, quality was expected and shopping was an experience. To steal a line from Hollywood "build it and they will come". Will everyone shop there, not likely. You have to have a business plan and a targeted market to make it work.

We may not have the demographics to pull off upscale shopping, but Savannah is on the map, and when visitors come, they shop. I am not a developer, have no investors, but I have Vision. You don't need investors for Saks, Neiman Marcus, or Nordstorms. They pick where they want their stores, and the demos have to be right. Savannah is on the map, pulling in more monied people everyday, and all I hear is that shopping in Savannah SUCKS. If you're happy, have fun in crowded Belks where merchandise is crammed together so much you can't walk or search the isles for stuff. It's crowded to the MAX, and it makes shopping difficult. So if that's your style, so be it, but I like upscale shopping with music being played, superb customer relations, and a wonderful shopping experience!!!! You ain't got that in Savannah.

We may not have the demographics to pull off upscale shopping, but Savannah is on the map, and when visitors come, they shop. I am not a developer, have no investors, but I have Vision. You don't need investors for Saks, Neiman Marcus, or Nordstorms. They pick where they want their stores, and the demos have to be right. Savannah is on the map, pulling in more monied people everyday, and all I hear is that shopping in Savannah SUCKS. If you're happy, have fun in crowded Belks where merchandise is crammed together so much you can't walk or search the isles for stuff. It's crowded to the MAX, and it makes shopping difficult. So if that's your style, so be it, but I like upscale shopping with music being played, superb customer relations, and a wonderful shopping experience!!!! You ain't got that in Savannah.

We may not have the demographics to pull off upscale shopping, but Savannah is on the map, and when visitors come, they shop. I am not a developer, have no investors, but I have Vision. You don't need investors for Saks, Neiman Marcus, or Nordstorms. They pick where they want their stores, and the demos have to be right. Savannah is on the map, pulling in more monied people everyday, and all I hear is that shopping in Savannah SUCKS. If you're happy, have fun in crowded Belks where merchandise is crammed together so much you can't walk or search the isles for stuff. It's crowded to the MAX, and it makes shopping difficult. So if that's your style, so be it, but I like upscale shopping with music being played, superb customer relations, and a wonderful shopping experience!!!! You ain't got that in Savannah.

I, too thought that (or at least heard the rumor) that Pooler was supposed to be getting both a PF Chang's and a Cheesecake Factory??? Not sure what it going on with that. If either of those two places came to Pooler, it would SURELY drive business in the area. As for now, I have to drive to Jacksonville to enjoy either of those.

What is a PF Chang's? Chinese restaurant? We could use more restaurants in Savannah too! Savannah, my beloved city, you deserve nice restaurants, an upscale shopping center, and great customer service. It's coming, it's coming, all in due time my pretty!

i heard that about the cheesecake factory too, but not pf changs. its a pretty cool restaurant/bistro that SAVANNAH doesnt have currently. im not sure i fully agree where the article suggests that the west side is considered a restaurant area. maybe soon it will be, but not yet. an olive garden always draws a crowd. im hoping the investors/developers put in a few places that are proven restaurants and will draw the crowds for wanting something different and not mirror imaging whats already in the area. considering a tilted kilt would also add to the 'hey, tired of the same ole same ole in SAVANNAH?'